Georgia’s neutral passports deceive South Ossetians and Abkhazians

Georgia’s issuance of neutral passports for citizens of South Ossetia and Abkhazia is an attempt to deceive the citizens of those countries

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MOSCOW, February 8 (Itar-Tass) — Georgia’s issuance of neutral passports for citizens of South Ossetia and Abkhazia is an attempt to deceive the citizens of those countries, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

“First of all, it should be clear that ‘neutral passports’ are not neutral in fact,” the ministry said. “Reference to Georgia is in the field called Code of State, and the issuing authority is mentioned as Georgia’s Foreign Ministry.”

“Thus, absence of Georgia’s state symbols on the documents is a trick, an attempt to deceive those for who Tbilisi is issuing the passports, namely citizens of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.”

“The fact that Georgian authorities have to use this indecent cheating is very characteristic in itself,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said. “First of all it proves clearly: citizens of Abkhazia and South Ossetia made their choice in favour of independence and do not want to have anything to do with the Georgian state.”

“Secondly, we have another proof of moral lameness of the policy, which aims to push Abkhazians and South Ossetians back into Georgia.”

“The suppressive blockade of the republic and the barbarian military attack in August of 2008 could not help Georgia to implement its plans,” the source continued. “Now the major hope is for deceiving and promising of various benefits. In fact, this is the essence of the so-called ‘soft involvement’ of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.”

“The negative reaction from authorities of Sukhum and Tskinval to Tbilisi’s ‘passport trick’ is quite reasonable; besides, the passports are not demanded by either of the people,” the ministry said. “Georgian authorities claim to have issued only several dozens of the new documents. By the way, it is worth mentioning, that in the past, before Abkhazia and South Ossetia obtained their independence, international organisations discussed an option of truly neutral passports for citizens of those republics.”

“However, it was Georgia that blocked the opportunity, thus causing many citizens of the republics to apply for Russian citizenship,” the source said.